An individualized, problem-oriented, self-report of change as a follow-up of a university counseling service.

Using a target-complaint approach, an instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of a counseling service was constructed on which clients stated in their own words, and then rated, the severity of their presenting problem at the initial interview. A follow-up questionnaire allowed a self-report measure of change (as compared to satisfaction) to be constructed which was then used to assess the effectiveness of the counseling service. In general, this procedure was successful and allowed flexibility in data analysis, making it adaptable to different counseling situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The New Routing Algorithm for the ARPANET

The new ARPANET routing algorithm is an improvement over the old procedure in that it uses fewer network resources, operates on more realistic estimates of network conditions, reacts faster to important network changes, and does not suffer from long-term loops or oscillations. In the new procedure, each node in the network maintains a database describing the complete network topology and the delays on all lines, and uses the database describing the network to generate a tree representing the minimum delay paths from a given root node to every other network node. Because the traffic in the network can be quite variable, each node periodically measures the delays along its outgoing lines and forwards this information to all other nodes. The delay information propagates quickly through the network so that all nodes can update their databases and continue to route traffic in a consistent and efficient manner. An extensive series of tests were conducted on the ARPANET, showing that line overhead and CPU overhead are both less than two percent, most nodes learn of an update within 100 ms, and the algorithm detects congestion and routes packets around congested areas.     

Recycling of thermoplastic waste: Phase equilibrium in polystyrene-PVC-polyolefin solvent systems

The contribution of plastics to the total amount of waste produced is increasing significantly. Not only do plastics present disposal difficulties, but traditional disposal techniques constitute a waste of valuable resources. A process to recycle plastic waste economically would provide an attractive solution to both problems. Approximately 70 percent of the U.S. plastics production is comprised of only three families of plastics; polyethylene, PVC and polystyrene. Mixtures of these three polymers invariably have poor properties because of their thermodynamic incompatibility, so a recycle scheme will have to achieve separation into nearly pure components. A process is proposed which takes advantage of the thermodynamic incompatibility of polymers in solution to effect such a separation. The equilibration of a simulated waste mix containing 4 parts polyolefin (polyethylene and polypropylene), 1 part polystyrene and I part PVC was investigated in a variety of solvents at total polymer concentrations of up to 15 percent, in the temperature range 115 to 125°C, using differential refractometry. In an 85 percent xylene, 15 percent cyclohexanone solvent, the polyolefins (polypropylene and the various densities of polyethylene) coexisted in a single phase, but the three phases obtained—polyolefin, polystyrene and PVC—routinely contained 99 + percent pure polymer, indicating that excellent separations of the major thermoplastic components of a waste mix can indeed be obtained.     

FDT: A technique for direct study of water attack at the silane-filler interface

A technique is presented for the direct study of water attack at the silane-filler interface. This technique, Filler Desorption Test (FDT), involves observations of surface tension changes which occur when a silane-treated filler is floated on a water surface. If all the silane has been appropriately cured to form one integral polymerized siloxane network, then the rate and degree of surface tension lowering are a sensitive measure of the adhering tendency of the polymerized silane film. Data are presented which suggest that, all other things being equal, the strength of the coupling agent (C.A.)-filler bond under water attack can be assessed by observation of the ease with which the first small amount of polymerized silane leaves the filler and the relative degree of hydrophobicity of the resulting surface. FDT is a new tool for fundamental studies of the coupling agent-filler interface and interphase. The method also allows rapid screening and evaluation of a wide range of chemical and physical modifications designed to improve C.A. response on various filler systems.     

The Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale: An empirical investigation

Current approaches to measuring people’s everyday usage of technology-based media and other computer-related activities have proved to be problematic as they use varied outcome measures, fail to measure behavior in a broad range of technology-related domains and do not take into account recently developed types of technology including smartphones. In the present study, a wide variety of items, covering a range of up-to-date technology and media usage behaviors. Sixty-six items concerning technology and media usage, along with 18 additional items assessing attitudes toward technology, were administered to two independent samples of individuals, comprising 942 participants. Factor analyses were used to create 11 usage subscales representing smartphone usage, general social media usage, Internet searching, e-mailing, media sharing, text messaging, video gaming, online friendships, Facebook friendships, phone calling, and watching television in addition to four attitude-based subscales: positive attitudes, negative attitudes, technological anxiety/dependence, and attitudes toward task-switching. All subscales showed strong reliabilities and relationships between the subscales and pre-existing measures of daily media usage and Internet addiction were as predicted. Given the reliability and validity results, the new Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale was suggested as a method of measuring media and technology involvement across a variety of types of research studies either as a single 60-item scale or any subset of the 15 subscales.     

An Overview of Synergistic Data Tools for Biological Scrutiny

A network of biological databases is reviewed, supplying a framework for studies of human genes and the association of their genomic variations with human phenotypes. The network is composed of GeneCards, the human gene compendium, which provides comprehensive information on all known and predicted human genes, along with its suite members GeneDecks and GeneLoc. Two databases are shown that address genes and variations focusing on olfactory reception (HORDE) and transduction (GOSdb). In the realm of disease scrutiny, we portray MalaCards, a novel comprehensive database of human diseases and their annotations. Also shown is GeneKid, a tool aimed at generating novel kidney disease biomarkers using systems biology, as well as Xome, a database for whole-exome next-generation DNA sequences for human diseases in the Israeli population. Finally, we show LifeMap Discovery, a database of embryonic development, stem cell research and regenerative medicine, which links to both GeneCards and MalaCards.